USNA graduate, Lieutenant Commander and Astronaut Kayla Barron has broken barriers her entire life. As a newly minted ensign, she was a member of the first class of women to be commissioned into the submarine community upon graduation in 2010. Then in November 2021, she was part of the historic SpaceX Crew-3 flight that rocketed four people into space for 177 days. Her passion for exploration is evident. In an interview for NASA, Barron notes, “I think the thing that’s most important to me is the inspiration of exploration. I think we all have this innate sense to explore — whether you’re the one who actually gets to step on the Moon or not. I think it changes all of us to know that we can actually do things that would be unimaginable to the generations that came before us.” Her path has certainly honored that — and while her achievements are just beginning, Barron has already proven what it takes to be a USNA Notable Graduate — and we are proud to highlight her career here.
Where It All Started
On September 19, 1987, Kayla Barron was born to Scott and Lauri Sax in Pocatello, Utah. She attended high school in Richland, Washington, which she considers to be her hometown. From there it was off to the U.S. Naval Academy, where she excelled in track and cross country — and earned her bachelor’s degree in Systems Engineering in 2010. From there, Barron was named a 2010 Gates Cambridge Scholar. She obtained her master’s degree in Nuclear Engineering from the University of Cambridge in England in 2011, where her graduate research modeled the fuel cycle for a next-generation, thorium-fueled nuclear reactor concept. Her work was already having an impact.
Once she completed graduate school, Barron joined the U.S. Navy’s nuclear power and submarine officer training, and shortly after served on USS Maine, an Ohio-class ballistic missile submarine based out of Bangor, Washington. On the vessel, she served as a division officer, finishing three strategic deterrent patrols and earning the rank of submarine warfare officer . Following this, she became a Flag Aide for Vice Admiral Ted Carter, Superintendent of the U.S. Naval Academy.
NASA Bound
During her role as Flag Aide is when she realized that she’d like to be an astronaut. “For me the dream of becoming an astronaut cemented itself pretty late in my life,” says Barron. “I went back to the Naval Academy to work for Admiral Ted Carter and because I was working with him I got to go to all these really cool events and meet a lot of people who I had no business talking to really. I met one of his classmates, former astronaut Kay Hire, and she was telling me about one of her shuttle missions where they were building the early space station — and I said, ‘You know that sounds a lot like a submarine in space.’ She looked at me and said, ‘That’s exactly what it’s like.’ That was the lightning strike moment…. I had really good mentorship at that time. I shared that dream with Admiral Carter and he said, ‘Kayla do you know how you become an astronaut? You apply.’ And for me that was the perfect mentorship I needed in that moment…. I did apply and it ended up working out. Here I am.”
Competition for the position was stiff. Yet, out of a pool of about 18,000 people, Barron got the job. In August 2017, she reported for duty at NASA as a member of the 2017 Astronaut Candidate Class. After two years of Astronaut Candidate training, she assumed technical duties in the Astronaut Office. Then, on November 10, 2021, she achieved her dream of traveling to space. Barron and her international crew of four took the historic step aboard Dragon Endurance for the NASA SpaceX Crew-3 mission, which brought them to the International Space Station.
Looking Beyond Earth
This was the agency’s third long-duration commercial crew mission to the International Space Station. The mission was part of NASA’s Moon and Mars exploration approach, which also plans lunar missions through their Artemis program. It was created to increase scientific knowledge and test new technologies for future human and robotic exploration missions. With their international partners, the Artemis Team plans to establish a base camp for extended stays for astronauts on the Moon, a technology that can be translated to stays on other worlds. Their work will benefit all of mankind to establish and sustain a human presence far beyond Earth. They are currently working to land the first woman and the first person of color on the Moon in 2024, and will send astronauts to the Moon about once annually after that.
While in space, Barron and her team conducted a number of important experiments critical to their mission. In one such experiment they grew plants without soil or any other growth material. They also imaged their retinas to track any eye changes that occur in space, and they added hundreds of photos of Earth to the Crew Earth Observation Investigations, which, as part of one of the longest running experiments on the station, is cataloging change and natural disasters. The team remained in space for six months, returning to Earth on Friday, May 6, 2022, via the same Dragon Endurance spacecraft. All told, Barron covered 75 million miles, and even took two spacewalks outside the station.
For her work thus far, she has received a number of high honors, including the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal, Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal and a number of unit commendations. She is a Trident Scholar as well as a member of the U.S. Naval Academy Alumni Association and Gates Cambridge Alumni Association.
Forging the Future
We are grateful to notable graduates like Lieutenant Commander and Astronaut Kayla Barron and the countless future success stories walking the very halls of the Yard each day. The commitment required to succeed at the Naval Academy, coupled with the grit and determination needed to thrive in Navy and Marine Corps careers, in agencies like NASA, in the public service sphere, in the corporate world, in sports arenas and in the myriad of ways these graduates continue to serve their country is nothing short of awe-inspiring.
Come to the place where it all starts — the Yard. Here you’ll find over 4,500 young women and men training to serve our country. Amid the breathtaking scenery, the pomp and circumstance of parades and noon meal formations, the pure thrill of competitive sports battles and the camaraderie that carries the Brigade forward, you’ll find the true essence of the Naval Academy. Come be a part of history.
